Lynn Ischay, Plain Dealer fileAnamika Veeramani has been busy with the transition from Parma Heights' Incarnate Word Academy to Laurel School, the all-girls school in Shaker Heights.

Whatever happened to . . .? 2010 in Review

The Plain Dealer catches up with local stories published in 2010 in a year-end series of "Whatever happened to . . . ?" articles running through Jan. 4. The weekly edition of the feature, which appears on Mondays and updates stories from the previous year and beyond, will resume Jan. 10.

The 14-year-old appeared on "Live with Regis and Kelly" and was a guest on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," where the comedic talk-show host challenged her to a one-on-one spelling bee. They called it a draw -- though Kimmel was thrown softballs, Anamika joked.

Since then, the giant trophy has been stowed on the mantle at her family's North Royalton home and her $30,000 in prize money sensibly deposited in the bank for college.

Anamika has been busy with the transition from Parma Heights' Incarnate Word Academy to the all-girls' school in Shaker Heights, which she says has been an enjoyable challenge. Her science-heavy course load is tough, she said. But being among girls in an environment free of distraction helps her concentrate. And she has made plenty of new friends, she says -- though some of them have admitted to her that they expected a spelling bee champion to be "super nerdy."

Anamika says she was pleased to hear that she proved them wrong.

Having aged out of the competitive spelling circuit, Anamika said she thought she might have much more free time on her hands without having to study for bees. But high school academics and extracurricular activities have filled in the gaps in her schedule, she says.

Anamika plays golf for Laurel School and has joined the speech and debate team, which she says satisfies her competitive spirit. And at least twice a week, she takes private lessons in classical Indian dance, in preparation for a yearly recital.

She also loves to write and is entertaining several ideas for full-length novels. Anamika said that although her schedule is tight, she'd like to kick out at least one book before she gets "really old."

By "really old," Anamika clarifies, she means college-age. Because by that time, she'll be focused on getting into Harvard University with a pre-med major, in the hopes of one day becoming a cardiovascular surgeon.

But Anamika says she will always be following spelling bees -- especially for the next few years, as the friends she made in the world of competitive spelling remain contenders on the national level. Her 11-year-old brother, Ashwin, might just enter the field, too.

"I'd definitely love to go to Washington next year to support my friends who are still competing," Anamika said. "I'll probably be going to spelling bees until I die."

The park system moves very deliberately, and is in the process of drafting a 10-year master plan, expected to be complete in early 2012.

Metroparks spokeswoman Jane Christyson said in an e-mail last week that part of the master-plan work "includes an examination of lakefront open space. The Park District is currently engaging community stakeholders to gain input on furthering the mission of Cleveland Metroparks."

The biggest advocates for a lakeward march by the Metroparks are Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek of North Collinwood, and Anthony Russo, presiding judge of Cuyahoga County Probate Court.

Russo appoints the three commissioners who oversee the park system and its $90 million annual budget, but he has no authority to dictate policy to the unpaid commissioners, who serve three-year terms.

Most of the 650 acres are run by the state but owned by the city of Cleveland. They include Edgewater Park, Whiskey Island, Wendy Park, Voinovich Park/Northcoast Harbor, East 55th Street Marina, Gordon Park, Dike 14, Euclid Beach, Villa Angela Beach and Wildwood Park.

Polensek has said he'd like the Metroparks to step in because he believes that the state is not taking adequate care of Euclid Beach, Villa Angela Beach and Wildwood, all of which are in his ward.

The state has a lease on the city-owned park land until 2028. A spokeswoman for the state park system said earlier this year that Ohio's park budgets "are extremely tight and that's why we are open to discussion of a partnership or efficiencies."

A spokesman for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson also said in February that the city was willing to have discussions with the Metroparks.

Fred Rzepka, who steps down this month as the longest-serving commissioner in Metroparks history, said earlier this year that all of the park system's money is committed until an operating-levy renewal goes before county voters in 2013.